Why Brands Are Moving Ad Budget to Creators

Lucas and Luna dive into the creator economy's impact on brand advertising, focusing on a concrete case: athletic-wear brand Gymshark. In 2025, Gymshark shifted 70 percent of its digital ad spend from programmatic display and search to direct creator partnerships. Lucas breaks down the numbers: a 34 percent lower cost-per-acquisition and 2.1x higher click-through rate versus traditional social ads. Luna challenges the scalability and brand-safety risks. They explore performance metrics, the role of micro-creators, and how this shift affects platform ad revenues. By May 2026, creator-led campaigns are becoming standard for DTC brands, and Lucas argues that the ad agency model itself is being disrupted. A sharp, data-rich look at where marketing dollars are flowing now. #CreatorEconomy #BrandAdvertising #Gymshark #InfluencerMarketing #DirectToConsumer #CostPerAcquisition #MicroCreators #AdSpend #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaAdvertising #PerformanceMarketing #BrandSafety #MarketingTrends #DTCBrands #InfluencerPartnerships #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo